Chicken Stroganoff

Simple suppers -- my favorite! Here is a crock pot recipe that only has eight ingredients and a wonderful taste!

Ingredients:

- 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped into cubes
- 1 can of Campbell's cream of chicken soup
- 8 ounces sour cream
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 packet of dry onion soup mix
- 1/2 cup diced carrots
- 1/2 cup chopped celery
- Shredded cheddar cheese, optional

Add chicken to a crock pot. Whisk together soup, sour cream, chicken broth, and onion soup mix. Add to crock pot. Stir in onion soup mix, carrots, and celery. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve over whole grain rice or noodles and sprinkle just a little shredded cheddar cheese, if desired. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this easy recipe, Click Here.

"What we hope ever to do with ease, we must learn first to do with diligence." - Samuel Jackson

Low-Point Banana Cream Pie

Tired of pumpkin cookies, cakes, and smoothies? For those who do not wish to include anything "pumpkiny" (is that a word?) at their Thanksgiving table, this amazing low-point banana cream pie will delight your palate without adding on the pounds. The trick is not to eat the entire pie in one sitting; even though that might be very difficult. :)


Banana Cream Pie
Ingredients:
- 1, 0.9 oz., Sugar-Free, Fat-Free Banana Cream Instant Pudding
- 1 Banana
- 1, 8 oz., Fat-Free Cool Whip
- 2 cups Fat-Free or 1% milk
- 1 Keebler Reduced-fat Ready Pie Crust
Slice banana and cover the bottom of the pie crust. Whisk pudding and milk for 2 minutes. Add 4 oz. (or half) of the fat-free cool whip to the pudding and mix well. Pour over bananas in pie crust. Add the other half of the cool whip on top. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours (or if you're in a hurry, freeze for 30 minutes before serving.) If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings = 8
Serving size = 1
Total points per serving = 3.5
(If pie is cut into 6 pieces, total points per serving = 4.7)

Low-Point Pumpkin Smoothie

A nice refreshing autumn treat. Serve up this low-point Pumpkin Smoothie with your Thanksgiving meal or after, as a dessert. The kids will love it!


Pumpkin Smoothie
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup pumpkin butter
- 1/2 cup 1% milk
- 1/2 cup crushed ice
- 6 oz. Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla yogurt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice or cinnamon (or both)
- 2 tsp. brown sugar
Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings = About 2 cups
Serving size -1
Total points per serving = 3

Low-Point Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

This chicken and broccoli casserole is sure to warm you up on these chilly fall days. Another great dinner idea that's delicious, filling, and low point.

Chicken and Broccoli Casserole

Ingredients:

- 3 quarts water

- 4 (6 ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

- 1 (12 to 16 ounce) package frozen broccoli florets

- 1 (12 ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk

- 1/4 cup flour

- 1/4 tsp. salt

- 1/4 tsp. pepper

- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg

- 1 cup fat-free mayonnaise

- 1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

- 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed mushroom soup

- 1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided

- Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring water to a boil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add broccoli and cook 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Transfer broccoli to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Cut up chicken in bite-size pieces and add chicken to boiling water; reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes until done. Transfer chicken to bowl with broccoli. Combine evaporated milk, flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a saucepan, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat; cook 1 minute stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, Worcestershire sauce, mushroom soup, and 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, stirring until well combined. Add mixture to broccoli and chicken. Stir gently until combined.  Spoon mixture into a 13 inch by 9 inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup parmesan cheese and sprinkle top with fresh pepper (optional). Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until mixture bubbles at the edges and cheese begins to brown. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

Total servings = 8

Serving size = 1

Points per serving = 4.9

Low-Point Cheerios Breakfast??

After inserting my camera card into the computer so I could download pictures of different items I had baked today, I saw these photos. At first glance, I was trying to remember what I had made. After taking a closer look, I realized my son had gotten ahold of the camera this morning at breakfast. So we interrupt "Points in My Life" blog entries to give you "Points in My Son's Life" and his version of a... low-point Cheerios breakfast? 

Squash and Cheese Frittata

What's better than a great recipe that's perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. This squash and cheese frittata is very appetizing, easy to make, and has become one of our favorites!

Ingredients:

- 6 eggs
- 1/2 cup diced fresh asparagus (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 1/2 cup part skim ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- 1 Tbs olive oil
- 1 large yellow summer squash (zucchini works as well), sliced 8" thick
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt (or regular table salt)
- 1/4 tsp. pepper

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, asparagus, thyme, ricotta, and parmesan cheese. Set aside. Heat olive oil in a 10-inch non-stick, oven-proof, skillet over medium-high heat. (The skillet needs to be oven proof because it will eventually need to go under the broiler.) Add sliced squash and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saute' squash for several minutes on both sides. Pour egg mixture directly over squash in skillet and cook over medium heat until the center starts to bubble and the sides are just getting firm (about 5 minutes). Place the skillet in the broiler oven for about 5 minutes to firm up the eggs and lightly brown the frittata. Remove frittata from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slide frittata onto a large place to serve. For a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.

"When someone else's happiness is your happiness. That's love." 

- *Anonymous

Zucchini-Tomato Bake

Vegetables on a flaky pie crust with a creamed basil/mayo/parmesan mixture on top makes this zucchini tomato bake divinely addicting.

Ingredients:

- 1/2 (15 oz.) pkg. refrigerated pie crusts
- 1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced
- 2 medium plum tomatoes, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
- 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup fat free mayonnaise
- Pam cooking spray
- Pepper

Fit pie crust into a 9 inch pie pan. Prick bottom and sides of pie crust with a fork and bake for 9 minutes at 450 degrees. Let cool. Spray Pam cooking spray in a skillet and saute' zucchini for several minutes until tender. Arrange zucchini in bottom of prepared pie pan. Arrange tomatoes on top of zucchini. Stir together basil, cheese, and mayo. Drop by spoonfuls evenly on top of tomatoes and spread gently. Sprinkle with pepper and bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes or thoroughly heated. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipes, Click Here.

"I am not interested in competing with anyone. 

I hope we all make it." - Anonymous

Low-Point Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

My daughter had several friends over the other day and they all loved these pumpkin butterscotch cookies so much, they requested the recipe to take home to their Mother's. Hope they've had the chance to enjoy them again. :) These are wonderful and what's even better, they're very low-point so you can enjoy more than one without any guilt!


Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup Land O Lakes Light butter, softened
- 1 cup Splenda granulated sugar substitute
- 1 to 1 1/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1/2 Tbs. Pumpkin Spice
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp All Spice
- 1 tsp Baking Soda
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips
Mix softened butter and Splenda. Add pumpkin, vanilla, pumpkin spice, all spice, and cinnamon. Mix. Stir in baking powder, baking soda, and flour. Mix well and add chips. Drop spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 9 or 10 minutes. If you'd like a printer-friendly version of this recipe, Click Here.
Total servings = 20 cookies
Serving size = 1
Points per serving = 1.6